Constant compression combustion engine



Oct. 27, 1931. R, R c ug 1,828,976

CONSTANT COMPRESSION COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 11 1927 Hill [MM III H I HI hul INVENTOR iOBERTPe'TER 179%; 06/17 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 301mm: 11mm nonlinear, orsnu FRANCISCO, oamrormm CONSTANT COMPRESSION COMBUSTION ENGINE Application filed April 11,

My invention relates to improvements in constant compression combustion engine, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements hereinafter described and a claimed.

amount of fuel delivered to the chamber, i. e.,

whether the throttle valve is'full-open or partially opened.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described, in

' which the means for automatically regulating the size of the combustion chamber ma be adjustedfor adapting the device to di ference cylinder pressures.

A further object of my invention is to pro- I vide an automatic means for quicklv enlargving the size of the combustion chamber when the pressure within the chamber exceeds a predetermined point. I

Other objects and advantages will appear in-the following specification, and the novel features of my invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the. accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which igure 1 is a'vertical section through the device;

a Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

.9 Figure 3 is a graph for purposes of illustrations. i l

The temperature of is cutaneous ignition of an ex losive mixture as a great influence on the t ermoefliciency of the internal combustion engine, The thermal efliciency increases with the pressure to which the mixture is compressed, With motor spirit, as usedin the ordinary motor car engine,,aco1npression pressure of more than about eighty W pounds on the square inch cannot be em- 1927; Serial No. 132,320.

ployed, otherwise pro-ignition takes place. The engines are therefore designed to attain this pressure when the throttle is fullopen. On full load, the gain in efliciency from the higher compression ratio is thirtyone per cent, while at forty per cent full load the gain is actually forty-two per cent. I The purpose of my invention is to keep the compression pressure constant regardless of whether the throttle is partly open or full open, this being accomplished by automatic means. Reference to Figure 1 shows that I make use of an internal combustion engine 1 having a piston2 and a connecting rod 3. In thehead 4 of the engine I mount a displace ment piston 5 which is adapted to move from the position shown in Figure 1 into a position where the under side 6 of'the displacement piston comes flush with the top 7 of the 'combustion chamber 8 The displacement piston 5 is rovided with a shoulder 9 for limiting the ownward movement thereof, and with piston rings 10 for preventing any leakage etween the displacement piston 5 and its cylinder wall 11.

Means for moving the cylinder 5 downwardly, comprises an automatic valve 12. which places the interior of the displacement piston 5 in communication with a storage tank 13 by a means hereinafter described. The ressure of the liquid within the tank 13 is ept at about forty pounds pressure for an internal combustion engine of standard construction. A hand pump 14 is employed for exerting pressure upon the fluid within a storage tank 15 forike eping this fluid at forty poundspressure, and for forcing this fluid into tank 13. A gauge 16 is used for indicating the pressure within the tank.

The fluid passes from the pressure tank 13 through a pipe 17 and into the interior the valve 12. From here the fluid passes through a duct18,past a check valve 19, through an opening 20, around an annular groove 21, through anopening 22, thence through a pipe 23, passageways 24 and 25, and into the interior of the displacement piston 5. A displacing member 26 partially extends into the interior of the displacement piston 5 for cutting down the liquid holding to e so t

capacity of the piston, and also for increased cooling effect.

It will be noted that the starting pressure Within the displacement piston 5 will be at least forty pounds. If now the engine is started and the piston 2 rises on its compression stroke, the explosion pressure within the combustion chamber 8 will be raised above a predetermined pressure of 320 pounds to the square inch unless some means is provided for taking care of an excess pressure. This explosion pressure, of course, will be exerted a ainst the end 6 and will tend to drive the displacement piston 5 upwardly. This movement causes the fluid to be forced from the pipe 23 into a duct 27 V and past a check valve 28, since the-check valve 19 prevents any fluid from backing up through the duct 18 after the fluid has once passed thereby. The amount of fluid passing through the check valve 28 will be in direct proportion to the explosion pressure exerted upon the displacement piston 5 by the approximately 320 pound explosion pressure within the combustion chamber 8, and to the pressure exerted upon a piston valve .29 by a spring 30, plus fluid pressure of approximately pounds. The spring is adjustable by means of an abutment screw 31 for varying the pressure upon the piston valve 29. The spring 30 is strong enough to hold the piston 29 down in its lowermost position, as shown in Figure 1, until the pressure within the compression chamber 8 exceeds approximately 282 pounds to the square inch. Between this point and a point well above the 300 mark, the piston 29 will be moved upwardly to its uppermost position in direct ratio to the explosion pressure in the chamber 8.

It should be noted that if the fluid flows past the check valve 28 and into a position beneath the piston valve 29,-it will cause the piston to move upwardly and to move the annular groove 21 out of registration with the openings 20 and 22, thus temporarily stopping any further flow of fluid from the pressure tank 13 to the displacement piston 5.

If the explosion pressure increases to a greater extent the piston valve 29 will be raised so as to align the groove 21 with openings 32 and 33 (see Figures 1 and 2) whereupon the fluid can flow from the pipe 23 past a check valve 34, through opening 32, groove 21, opening 33. duct 34', and back to the pressure tank 13. This permits the displacement piston 5 to move upwardly to the desired extent to take care of the increased pressure.

Assume now that the throttle valve is closed halfway. The pressure within the combustion chamber 8 will drop and will permit additional fluid to enter the displacement piston 5. The fluid will gain access to the piston in the following manner: Figure 1 shows a needle valve 36 for controlling the .point. I claim:

flow of fluid from beneath the piston valve 29. This fluid flows through an opening 37 and into the duct 27.

Assume that the throttle is opened wide very suddenly. The explosion pressure within the combustion chamber 8 will instantly increase, and is likely to do damage if some means is not provided for permitting a quick movement of the displacement piston 5. This is taken care of by the check valve 38 which is a safety valve for permitting fluid to flow from the displacement piston 5 through a bypass 39 and back to the air storage tank 15, thus quickly relieving the pressure within the displacement piston 5 and enlarging the capacity of the combustion chamher 8 sufliciently to reduce the suddenly increased pressure and thus keep it at the constant point. a

In Figure 3 I have shown a graph which.

illustrates the four strokes of the piston made during its cycle and how the piston 29 reacts to the pressures exerted by the compression within the chamber 8 caused by the piston. Should the pressure rise above the point indicated by the words: Quick release valve engaged, the valve 38 will be opened and-will permit the fluid to bypass back to the tank 15. During the normal running of the engine as much fluid. will be forced be-.-

neath the piston 29 as will leak out through the passageway 37 during each cycle of operation and therefore the fluid within the displacement piston 5 will be held against flowing back intothe tank 13.

past the check valve 28 and beneath the piston 29 only on the peak explosion pressure. If the pressure beneath the piston 29 exactly balances the pressure above the piston 29,;

The tank 15 has an inlet and a cover 15,

therefore, this cover also carrying an air release 15a for pressures above a predetermined 1. In a device of the type described, a valve, a displacement-piston, a storage tank, communications between said displacementpiston and said tank and controlled by said valve for admitting fluid from said tank to'said piston, and means controlled by-the pressure against said displacement piston for causing said valve to cut off communication between said tank and said piston.

2. In a device of the type described, a valve,

a displacement piston, a storage tank, communications between said displacement piston and said tank and controlled by said valve for-admitting fluid from said tank to said piston, and means controlled by the pressure against said displacement piston for It should be noted that the fluid is forced Hi L causing said valve to cut. oil communication betweensaid tank and said piston, and a return passageway for the flow of fluid from said piston to said tank, said valve opening said passageway when said piston has a force exerted thereupon which exceeds a predetermined point.

3. In a device of the type described, a valve, a displacement piston, a storage tank, communications between said displacement piston and said tank and controlled by said valve for admitting fluid from said tank to said valve, and means controlled by the pressure against said displacement piston for causing said valve to cut oil communication betweensaid tank and said piston, and a return passageway for the flow of fluid from said piston to said tank, said valve opening-said passageway-when said piston has a force exerted thereupon which exceeds a predetermined point, and a safety valve for permitting the quick discharge of the fluid from the piston when the force exerted upon the piston reaches a predetermined danger point, and a bypass placing said safety valve in communication with said tank.

4. In a device of the type described, a valve, a displacement piston, a storage tank, communications between said piston and said tank and controlled by said valve, communications between said valve and said piston for stopping the flow from said tank when a predetermined pressure is exerted against said piston and means for slowly permitting said valve to open for again placing said tank in communication with said piston for delivering a liquid thereto when the pressure exerted against the piston falls below a predetermined point. I 5. A device of the type described comprising a plurality of piston receiving cylinders, a

displacement piston for each cylinder, a fluid storage tank, a pressure tank communicating therewith, means for increasing the pressure in said tank, a valve for controlling a flow of fluid from said storage tank .to said displacement piston, means controlled by the force exerted against the exterior of said piston for cutting off the flow of fluid from said storage tank, means for slowly permitting said valve to open when the pressure within the cylinder drops below a predetermined point, means for permitting a flow of fluid from said displacement piston to said storage tank when the force exerted against said piston exceeds a predetermined oint and a safety valve for permitting a quick discharge of fluid from said pistonwhen the force exerted against said piston reaches a predetermined danger point.

ROBERT PETER MONAUGHT. 

